Question Motherboard shows code "08" permanently ?

[Khaine08]

Hi!

I'm experiencing something a bit strange with my PC. It's only 2 days old, newly assembled, and I've noticed that the mini "EZ Digi Debug" panel on the motherboard permanently shows an 08 code. According to the manual, this code corresponds to the boot phase of the PC:
"08 System Agent initialization after microcode loading"

The interesting part is that the PC boots perfectly. There are no errors, and it works flawlessly.

I've searched online, and most people who have this issue can't get past the POST, so I'm not sure what to do. I've completely disassembled the PC, tested it with just one RAM module, and removed almost everything, leaving only the essentials for booting. I even took the motherboard out to try different things.

Sometimes, during boot, it oscillates between 01 and 08 and finally settles on 00. Other times, it stays on 08.

Here are the details of my PC:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 5.0GHz Socket AM5 Boxed
• Motherboard: MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi - ATX AM5
• Graphics Card: MSI RTX 4080 Super Gaming X Slim 16GB GDDR6X DLSS3
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL30 EXPO-XMP
• Storage: Samsung 990 PRO 2TB PCIe x4 NVMe
• Power Supply: Asus ROG Strix 1000G ATX 3.0 (PCIe 5.0) - 1000W
• Cooling: NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB LCD Display Black
• Case: NZXT H9 Elite Black
• Extra Cooling: NZXT F360 RGB Core - 360mm fan

Any clues on what this could be?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Your motherboard has a Flash BIOS button on the rear;

in conjunction with this guide;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5fJ7DjmLTU

see if reflashing the BIOS with the latest version helps you.

 

[Khaine08]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Your motherboard has a Flash BIOS button on the rear;

in conjunction with this guide;

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5fJ7DjmLTU

see if reflashing the BIOS with the latest version helps you.

Hello,

First of all, thank you for the response. I tried updating the BIOS by downloading the latest version from the manufacturer's website. I also pressed the CMOS reset button located next to the one you mentioned. I will also try pressing the BIOS button to see if there is any change.

Edit: Nothing, still the same 08 code on the MOBO.

Thank you!

 

[Lutfij]

When clearing the CMOS, disconnect from the wall and display, then remove the CMOS battery from the board, press and hold down the power button for 30secs to drain residual power, then replace the battery after 30mins. See if that helps.

I tried updating the BIOS by downloading the latest version from the manufacturer's website.
Just so we're on the same page, which BIOS version did you reflash with?

 

[binkey92]

Hello,

First of all, thank you for the response. I tried updating the BIOS by downloading the latest version from the manufacturer's website. I also pressed the CMOS reset button located next to the one you mentioned. I will also try pressing the BIOS button to see if there is any change.

Edit: Nothing, still the same 08 code on the MOBO.

Thank you!

Hello I found this while googling. I have the exact same code 08 on nearly the exact same build. Build it 5 days ago. Same motherboard which of course came out very recently. When booting at the logon screen it rapidly switches between 01 and 08, then stays on 08 permanently. It never shows 00 now.

I had issues installing Windows due to using an SD to USB adapter. Switched to a flash drive and it was ok for 3 days. I ran benchmarks and tuned PBO and enabled EXPO. Updated BIOS and all drivers. Than started getting BSODs on the 3rd day. BSODs could have just been a corrupt Windows install from the beginning but I'm pretty sure the LED displayed 00 before, and then switched to 08 after the first BSOD and stayed that way. After 5 BSODS, Windows was so corrupt it was unbootable. I replaced RAM (no change) and just now got a new Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB and installed Windows with the same 08 code. I removed motherboard and all connections. Reseated CPU. I removed the CMOS battery and it got rid of the code for the first boot(it showed 00), but then came back the 2nd boot. Although, the first boot I left the GPU disconnected so technically it could be related to the GPU being plugged back in for the 2nd boot. I will remove battery again and test with no GPU again tomorrow.

Please add anything if you find a solution and I'll do the same. MSI was no help at all.

I've read that if this boots, then the code means nothing. But I'm still well in the return window so want to verify it truly does mean nothing like I'm sure you do.

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7950X3D
• Motherboard: MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi - ATX AM5
• Graphics Card: MSI RTX 4080 Super Ventus
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 96GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL30 EXPO-XMP
• Storage: Crucial T700 4 TB
• Power Supply: NZXT 1200W
• Cooling: NZXT Kraken 360
• Case: Corsair 5000d
• Extra Cooling: 5 Fans

 

[Khaine08]

Hello I found this while googling. I have the exact same code 08 on nearly the exact same build. Build it 5 days ago. Same motherboard which of course came out very recently. When booting at the logon screen it rapidly switches between 01 and 08, then stays on 08 permanently. It never shows 00 now.

I had issues installing Windows due to using an SD to USB adapter. Switched to a flash drive and it was ok for 3 days. I ran benchmarks and tuned PBO and enabled EXPO. Updated BIOS and all drivers. Than started getting BSODs on the 3rd day. BSODs could have just been a corrupt Windows install from the beginning but I'm pretty sure the LED displayed 00 before, and then switched to 08 after the first BSOD and stayed that way. After 5 BSODS, Windows was so corrupt it was unbootable. I replaced RAM (no change) and just now got a new Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB and installed Windows with the same 08 code. I removed motherboard and all connections. Reseated CPU. I removed the CMOS battery and it got rid of the code for the first boot(it showed 00), but then came back the 2nd boot. Although, the first boot I left the GPU disconnected so technically it could be related to the GPU being plugged back in for the 2nd boot. I will remove battery again and test with no GPU again tomorrow.

Please add anything if you find a solution and I'll do the same. MSI was no help at all.

I've read that if this boots, then the code means nothing. But I'm still well in the return window so want to verify it truly does mean nothing like I'm sure you do.

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7950X3D
• Motherboard: MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi - ATX AM5
• Graphics Card: MSI RTX 4080 Super Ventus
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 96GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL30 EXPO-XMP
• Storage: Crucial T700 4 TB
• Power Supply: NZXT 1200W
• Cooling: NZXT Kraken 360
• Case: Corsair 5000d
• Extra Cooling: 5 Fans

Hi!

Yesterday I contacted MSI support, and they replied with the following: 'Please don’t worry about it, and we believe the motherboard is functioning well. We will release a newer BIOS to fix it. Please wait for our reply. Thank you!'

The PC has been starting perfectly for me these past few days. I activated yesterday the EXPO profile of the RAM and not much else; I’m not experiencing any BSODs or anything. I've had the LED code 08 since day one.

I’ve also read that the issue might be related to the AMD 3D V-Cache Optimizer software. I’ve asked about it in the MSI ticket to see if they could confirm it, though I don’t expect them to say much.

In any case, I reverted to the previous BIOS version 'A10' since 'A13' is in Beta, and it doesn’t give me much confidence. When they release a more stable version, I’ll update it.

Without knowing too much about it, if I were you, I’d reset the BIOS to factory settings and do a clean installation of the operating system to see if that resolves the blue screen issues.

Edit: Sorry, I hadn’t noticed that you had already reinstalled the OS. After the second installation of Windows, you haven’t had any more blue screens, right?

 

[binkey92]

Hi!

Yesterday I contacted MSI support, and they replied with the following: 'Please don’t worry about it, and we believe the motherboard is functioning well. We will release a newer BIOS to fix it. Please wait for our reply. Thank you!'

The PC has been starting perfectly for me these past few days. I activated yesterday the EXPO profile of the RAM and not much else; I’m not experiencing any BSODs or anything. I've had the LED code 08 since day one.

I’ve also read that the issue might be related to the AMD 3D V-Cache Optimizer software. I’ve asked about it in the MSI ticket to see if they could confirm it, though I don’t expect them to say much.

In any case, I reverted to the previous BIOS version 'A10' since 'A13' is in Beta, and it doesn’t give me much confidence. When they release a more stable version, I’ll update it.

Without knowing too much about it, if I were you, I’d reset the BIOS to factory settings and do a clean installation of the operating system to see if that resolves the blue screen issues.

Edit: Sorry, I hadn’t noticed that you had already reinstalled the OS. After the second installation of Windows, you haven’t had any more blue screens, right?

Ok that's good to know about it potentially just being a BIOS firmware glitch and not a hardware issue...if MSI really believes that.

I did more testing this morning by removing CMOS battery and leaving GPU disconnected. The 1st boot with login it showed 00 , and when I restarted (no login) it went back to 08. Then I removed power plug for 10 minutes, and booted (no login) with 08. Then I pressed CMOS reset button and booted (no login) and then 00. Then the restart (no login) showed 08.

With everything I've tested so far, it likely rules out RAM, M.2. drive, and GPU being the issue.

Based on this, the 08 code doesn't appear to be Windows related but still could be. No more BSODs but it's only been 12 hours and I will be installing programs, tuning PBO and activate EXPO so it still might start BSODing like last time after 3 days.

How do you revert the BIOS? On the MSI site, I only see the Beta version and don't know how to find the older version.

 

[Khaine08]

Ok that's good to know about it potentially just being a BIOS firmware glitch and not a hardware issue...if MSI really believes that.

I did more testing this morning by removing CMOS battery and leaving GPU disconnected. The 1st boot with login it showed 00 , and when I restarted (no login) it went back to 08. Then I removed power plug for 10 minutes, and booted (no login) with 08. Then I pressed CMOS reset button and booted (no login) and then 00. Then the restart (no login) showed 08.

With everything I've tested so far, it likely rules out RAM, M.2. drive, and GPU being the issue.

Based on this, the 08 code doesn't appear to be Windows related but still could be. No more BSODs but it's only been 12 hours and I will be installing programs, tuning PBO and activate EXPO so it still might start BSODing like last time after 3 days.

How do you revert the BIOS? On the MSI site, I only see the Beta version and don't know how to find the older version.

I downloaded it from msi forum, 4th message:

https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?threads/mag-x870-tomahawk-original-bios.404578/

I'm glad you managed to solve the blue screen issue. After what MSI support told me, I feel much more at ease, although it seems a bit sloppy that they release products without fixing these kinds of things...

As long as it's a minor issue that doesn't affect performance, I don't mind seeing that 08 on the board. Hopefully, they'll release a BIOS update later on to fix it. If support tells me anything else, I'll update the post and tag you so you're aware.

Have you had the chance to test the system with any games yet? Yesterday I was testing Space Marine 2 at 4K resolution with all settings on ultra, and the performance is really good. Everything maxed out, and the CPU temperature doesn't go above 65-70º. The GPU has similar temperatures.

 

[binkey92]

I downloaded it from msi forum, 4th message:

https://forum-en.msi.com/index.php?threads/mag-x870-tomahawk-original-bios.404578/

I'm glad you managed to solve the blue screen issue. After what MSI support told me, I feel much more at ease, although it seems a bit sloppy that they release products without fixing these kinds of things...

As long as it's a minor issue that doesn't affect performance, I don't mind seeing that 08 on the board. Hopefully, they'll release a BIOS update later on to fix it. If support tells me anything else, I'll update the post and tag you so you're aware.

Have you had the chance to test the system with any games yet? Yesterday I was testing Space Marine 2 at 4K resolution with all settings on ultra, and the performance is really good. Everything maxed out, and the CPU temperature doesn't go above 65-70º. The GPU has similar temperatures.

Thank you I never would have found it. Yeah, if I had never gotten the BSODs, I would never have noticed the 08 code to begin with, so hopefully it doesn't affect anything. 08 was likely there the entire time from day one. I had tested games right before getting BSODs but on very old games. I'm coming from a 2016 PC, so everything is on another level with this new build. I will test with Space Marine 2 and Cyberpunk soon once I get everything installed.

My processor is the 7950X3d so slightly different than yours, but at idle it's 47-50 C. This is normal according to many other people on Reddit. With Cinebench it goes to 84C. I'll update after a lot of testing the next few days on performance. Thanks again.

 

[Khaine08]

Thank you I never would have found it. Yeah, if I had never gotten the BSODs, I would never have noticed the 08 code to begin with, so hopefully it doesn't affect anything. 08 was likely there the entire time from day one. I had tested games right before getting BSODs but on very old games. I'm coming from a 2016 PC, so everything is on another level with this new build. I will test with Space Marine 2 and Cyberpunk soon once I get everything installed.

My processor is the 7950X3d so slightly different than yours, but at idle it's 47-50 C. This is normal according to many other people on Reddit. With Cinebench it goes to 84C. I'll update after a lot of testing the next few days on performance. Thanks again.

Good to hear that!! Let's cross our fingers that nothing happens in the next few days. As soon as I have an update on the MSI case, I'll post it here.

 

[Aradmahogany91]

Hey, I have an MSI X870E CARBON WIFI board paired with a Ryzen 9700x and am getting the consistent and constant 08 after booting to windows. In fact the way you describe the issue in your original post is EXACTLY what I have going on. I think this is a windows issue with the new X870 boards. Must be related to the newest update 24H2 or something. Definitely a windows issue because the code ONLY comes after booting to windows. You let it sit in bios and never shows up. Hopefully they identity the issue and fix it!

 

[Khaine08]

Hey, I have an MSI X870E CARBON WIFI board paired with a Ryzen 9700x and am getting the consistent and constant 08 after booting to windows. In fact the way you describe the issue in your original post is EXACTLY what I have going on. I think this is a windows issue with the new X870 boards. Must be related to the newest update 24H2 or something. Definitely a windows issue because the code ONLY comes after booting to windows. You let it sit in bios and never shows up. Hopefully they identity the issue and fix it!

Hi, thanks for sharing your experience. I feel better knowing that this happens to more people and that the only consequence is constantly seeing that annoying code on the motherboard. We're basically acting as beta testers for the new 870 boards, and they didn't tell us.
Let's hope they fix it soon.

 

[Khaine08]

@binkey92 @Aradmahogany91
Guys, I have good news. MSI has provided me with a new BIOS version (A14) (the one available on the website is A13), and my issue has been resolved. The LED now shows the CPU temperatures after booting, which is what the motherboard manual says it should do. I’m leaving the link here in case you want to try it out.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H7TzGb0sePnhyqeCPZb6dK4uxZUPDzdO/view?usp=sharing

This BIOS version was provided for my MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI motherboard. I don’t know if it would
work correctly with your version, @Aradmahogany91. If I were you, just to be safe, I’d open a support ticket to check for your specific model, but it’s up to you.

binkey, try installing it and let me know how it goes. I’m going to confirm with MSI that it worked for me, and I assume it won’t take long for them to release this version on the website.

Edit:
I've noticed that the motherboard has stopped recognizing some USB ports, but I'm not sure if it happened after the update. I'm going to restart the system again with everything unplugged and try again.

Edit 2:
Confirmed, with the new A14 version, the 4 USB 2.0 ports (the gray ones) on the motherboard stop working. The rest of the ports work fine, included case ones. Reverting to version A13, the ports start working correctly again.
I just updated MSI Support ticket again to find a solution.

 

[Aradmahogany91]

So I went ahead and installed BIOS update ( Version 14). On my X870E board at least, it worked!! all usbs are working as well. I would suggest making a backup flash and just giving it a shot

 

[Khaine08]

So I went ahead and installed BIOS update ( Version 14). On my X870E board at least, it worked!! all usbs are working as well. I would suggest making a backup flash and just giving it a shot

Ohhhh, I’m glad it worked for you! Let’s see if @binkey92 shows up here and tells us if it worked too.

I tried installing the version twice, and both times the damn 2.0 USB ports stopped working.
On top of that, the second time, the ethernet port stopped responding, and I had to reset the CMOS (in addition to going back to A13).
MSI is reviewing it in my support ticket..."

 

[Aradmahogany91]

Ohhhh, I’m glad it worked for you! Let’s see if @binkey92 shows up here and tells us if it worked too.

I tried installing the version twice, and both times the damn 2.0 USB ports stopped working.
On top of that, the second time, the ethernet port stopped responding, and I had to reset the CMOS (in addition to going back to A13).
MSI is reviewing it in my support ticket..."

That is bad news, I am sorry. I think my X870E has only 10,20, and 40 GB usb's on the IO (not sure if that means they are 2.0 or not) but the manual says there are internal headers for USB 2.0. So I didn't have that issue. Also, I haven't checked the second ethernet port to see if it works or not. Hopefully they release an official version. Felt more weird downloading a bios off of a forum that installing a Beta one LOL but as of now its still working (only been an hour so we will see).

 

[Khaine08]

That is bad news, I am sorry. I think my X870E has only 10,20, and 40 GB usb's on the IO (not sure if that means they are 2.0 or not) but the manual says there are internal headers for USB 2.0. So I didn't have that issue. Also, I haven't checked the second ethernet port to see if it works or not. Hopefully they release an official version. Felt more weird downloading a bios off of a forum that installing a Beta one LOL but as of now its still working (only been an hour so we will see).

Yes, I’ve looked up your motherboard model, and it seems that it doesn’t have those USB ports. It’s a slightly higher-end model than mine (and more expensive ), so it has faster ports:


This is yours:

And this is mine (the ones who stop working are the gray ones (2.0):

 

[Aradmahogany91]

Okay I see. What a silly bug like how do they mess that up -_-
Also yes, the board is stupidly expensive and I am stupid to have bought it for that price, regardless of the free SSD or rebate. but I could not help it, and no matter how much it costs I am going to buy the 5090 too I am part of the ridiculous pricing problem lol

 

[binkey92]

Sorry for the delay my notifications weren't turned on. I have not tried the new BIOS yet but will soon. Currently still showing 08. With the 7950X3D, I installed the AMD 3D Cache Optimizer driver (which activates the 8 cores with higher cache for gaming and deactivates the other 8 cores and turns the CPU into a 7800X3D), and when playing a game, the code shows 8F instead but then goes back to 08 when quitting the game.

I've been testing with the Precision Boost Overdrive settings to see how well the CPU undervolts/overclocks. Same for the 4080 Super. Gaming is great but I get game crashes and event viewer says "The description for Event ID 153 from source nvlddmkm cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. "

This seems to be a common Nvidia GPU issue and can have many causes but the majority of people think it is the Nvidia driver having a bug in it.

While gaming CPU temps are around 65C, and GPU around 63C with frequency capped at 2750Mhz in MSI Afterburner with a +210 Mhz overclock and memory at +1100Mhz.

I will update BIOS and see if the 08 code goes away and the USB 2.0 ports stop working.

 

[binkey92]

Yes, I’ve looked up your motherboard model, and it seems that it doesn’t have those USB ports. It’s a slightly higher-end model than mine (and more expensive ), so it has faster ports:


This is yours:

And this is mine (the ones who stop working are the gray ones (2.0):

Update: I just updated to V16 (Beta) released today. The 08 code is gone and the LED is correctly showing the CPU temperature like it is supposed to. You can also select motherboard, chipset, or MOS temp I think as well to display. All USB ports appear to be working. Wifi works and I cannot test Ethernet ports since I don't have any cables. Something weird is my CPU temps are lower at 45 C at idle, and they were normally 48C before. I will update if anything weird happens with this BIOS version or if there are any noticeable bugs.

I put back all my EXPO and PBO settings and they appear to be working.

 

[Khaine08]

Update: I just updated to V16 (Beta) released today. The 08 code is gone and the LED is correctly showing the CPU temperature like it is supposed to. You can also select motherboard, chipset, or MOS temp I think as well to display. All USB ports appear to be working. Wifi works and I cannot test Ethernet ports since I don't have any cables. Something weird is my CPU temps are lower at 45 C at idle, and they were normally 48C before. I will update if anything weird happens with this BIOS version or if there are any noticeable bugs.

I put back all my EXPO and PBO settings and they appear to be working.

Hello!
I was just coming in to let you know that they've just released version A16, which fixes the issue. I just installed it myself, and everything is working correctly, so we can say that the problem seems to be resolved.
Fingers crossed that it stays that way!

Edit: About your CPU temp, check the power plans in windows 11, find the CPU performance option, some power plans set it to 99%. That decrease your cpu temp about 20º but the performance too (no more cpu boost)

 

[dee2712]

Hi!

I'm experiencing something a bit strange with my PC. It's only 2 days old, newly assembled, and I've noticed that the mini "EZ Digi Debug" panel on the motherboard permanently shows an 08 code. According to the manual, this code corresponds to the boot phase of the PC:
"08 System Agent initialization after microcode loading"

The interesting part is that the PC boots perfectly. There are no errors, and it works flawlessly.

I've searched online, and most people who have this issue can't get past the POST, so I'm not sure what to do. I've completely disassembled the PC, tested it with just one RAM module, and removed almost everything, leaving only the essentials for booting. I even took the motherboard out to try different things.

Sometimes, during boot, it oscillates between 01 and 08 and finally settles on 00. Other times, it stays on 08.

Here are the details of my PC:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 5.0GHz Socket AM5 Boxed
• Motherboard: MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi - ATX AM5
• Graphics Card: MSI RTX 4080 Super Gaming X Slim 16GB GDDR6X DLSS3
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL30 EXPO-XMP
• Storage: Samsung 990 PRO 2TB PCIe x4 NVMe
• Power Supply: Asus ROG Strix 1000G ATX 3.0 (PCIe 5.0) - 1000W
• Cooling: NZXT Kraken Elite 360 RGB LCD Display Black
• Case: NZXT H9 Elite Black
• Extra Cooling: NZXT F360 RGB Core - 360mm fan

Any clues on what this could be?

Thank you in advance!

Hi buddy i have same build same problem stick with latest bios and Memory Context Restore > Enable it.its stuck on memory training loop hopefully next bios update will fix it but for now just do this it will sort it

 

[dee2712]

Hello I found this while googling. I have the exact same code 08 on nearly the exact same build. Build it 5 days ago. Same motherboard which of course came out very recently. When booting at the logon screen it rapidly switches between 01 and 08, then stays on 08 permanently. It never shows 00 now.

I had issues installing Windows due to using an SD to USB adapter. Switched to a flash drive and it was ok for 3 days. I ran benchmarks and tuned PBO and enabled EXPO. Updated BIOS and all drivers. Than started getting BSODs on the 3rd day. BSODs could have just been a corrupt Windows install from the beginning but I'm pretty sure the LED displayed 00 before, and then switched to 08 after the first BSOD and stayed that way. After 5 BSODS, Windows was so corrupt it was unbootable. I replaced RAM (no change) and just now got a new Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB and installed Windows with the same 08 code. I removed motherboard and all connections. Reseated CPU. I removed the CMOS battery and it got rid of the code for the first boot(it showed 00), but then came back the 2nd boot. Although, the first boot I left the GPU disconnected so technically it could be related to the GPU being plugged back in for the 2nd boot. I will remove battery again and test with no GPU again tomorrow.

Please add anything if you find a solution and I'll do the same. MSI was no help at all.

I've read that if this boots, then the code means nothing. But I'm still well in the return window so want to verify it truly does mean nothing like I'm sure you do.

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7950X3D
• Motherboard: MSI MAG X870 Tomahawk WiFi - ATX AM5
• Graphics Card: MSI RTX 4080 Super Ventus
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 96GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL30 EXPO-XMP
• Storage: Crucial T700 4 TB
• Power Supply: NZXT 1200W
• Cooling: NZXT Kraken 360
• Case: Corsair 5000d
• Extra Cooling: 5 Fans

buddy i have same build same problem stick with latest bios and Memory Context Restore > Enable it.its stuck on memory training loop hopefully next bios update will fix it but for now just do this it will sort it